We had the good fortune of connecting with Farrar Duro and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Farrar, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I graduated from Chinese medicine school in 2001, I knew that I wanted to focus on women’s health by opening my own acupuncture and herbal medicine practice. I studied in an integrative TCM hospital in China in school and saw firsthand how patients could reap the benefits of both Eastern and Western medicine, so I sought out advice from a reproductive endocrinologist who brought me into his fertility practice to provide acupuncture to his IVF patients. Since 2002, it has been a passion of mine to see my patients flourish and work with them through all stages of life in my practice Florida Complete Wellness.

What should our readers know about your business?
I remember like it was yesterday…the moment I decided to make a major change in the course of my life and pursue Chinese medicine studies. In the dark ages of the mid-to-late 1990’s, before Google and Wikipedia, I was in undergraduate school and had no clue what was wrong with me. My cycles would come as go as they pleased, wreaking havoc on my hormones and sometimes disappearing for several months. No longer able to cope with what felt like weeks of never-ending PMS complete with bloating, mood swings and intolerable anxiety I decided to seek help. Four different gynecologists had all told me the same thing…that birth control was my only answer.

Well, if only it had been so simple. As luck would have it, my body responds to birth control a bit like someone recovering from a hangover…complete with nausea, headaches, chills and (oh yes) vomiting.

Which brings me to the moment that changed my life. I was struck by a flying pack of birth control pills literally hurled at my head by my gynecologist and was told not to come back unless I’d taken the whole pack. I wasn’t crazy…I was angry, and I knew there had to be a better approach.

That fateful gyno visit was nearly 20 years ago, but I still remember it so clearly because that day I made a promise to myself. I left that office in tears but I vowed to find an answer and to help other women when I did. At the age of 19, I left my premed studies and started acupuncture school. I discovered that what I was experiencing (undiagnosed PCOS) could be helped naturally and within six months I was having normal cycles for the first time in my life.

I have now been practicing Traditional Chinese Medicine for nearly half of my life and have devoted my practice to enhancing reproductive health naturally. My patients have been my greatest teachers and have inspired me to reach out to other women who might not have the support they need to do the previously unthinkable…take back control of their bodies. Whether struggling with unexplained infertility, endometriosis, PCOS, or the devastating losses of repeated miscarriages, getting to the root of the problem is our focus.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a bit of a homebody but I love being outdoors when the weather is right. Besides heading to the beach or going to the Keys, my husband and I usually take our husky to explore some of the trails around South Miami.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Dr. Bernard Cantor, the first reproductive endocrinologist that I ever worked with, was a wonderful mentor to me and helped me help so many couples and women succeed in reaching their goals to become parents throughout the years. During a time when only a few studies on IVF and acupuncture and IVF had been published, Dr. Cantor was a huge advocate in the integration of the two fields. I am also deeply appreciative of the wonderful patients that we see in our practice who give us the encouragement and inspiration to become better at what we do at Florida Complete Wellness.

Website: www.floridacompletewellness.com

Instagram: flcompletewellness

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fertilityacupuncture/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Floridacomplete

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floridacompletewellness

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.